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10 Friends You Need To Make Before You Turn 30

From the time you were in pre-school and your mom picked your playdates, you’ve been building relationships with people. You might think that you have enough friends in your life, but really, can you ever have too many?

1. The Style Guru Everyone needs someone who can help them figure out which dress is appropriate “black-tie optional” weddings, and whether you can get away with wearing a green sweater with a red belt. (The answer to the latter is “probably not,” unless you are a Christmas Elf.)

2. The Mr./Ms. Fix-it You bought a new bike online, but the instructions for putting it together appear to be written in a language you do not speak. It’s time to call the friend who has a knack for building things and owns all the right tools.

3. The Good Time Gal If you’re feeling antsy with nothing to do on a Friday night, call this friend, who is generally up for doing anything at any time. She’ll cook up plans that involve dancing on banquets or singing Madonna’s “Like A Prayer” in the time it takes you to change out of your work clothes and slap on a fresh coat of mascara.

4. The Health Nut During the times when you suddenly decide to start working out or eating food other than take-out and delicacies from the frozen-food aisle, it’s good to have someone who reads every health and fitness magazine and loves to dispense instructions for proper squat form and pass along recipes for protein-rich meals.

5. The Ear You had a sucky day at work and hate everything in your closet. What do you do? Call the friend who will calmly listen to all of your problems and then, at the appropriate time, give you a few pearls of wisdom.

6. The Do-it-herselfer Hemming vintage dresses or whipping up a créme brûlée might not come naturally to you, but with the help of a skillful friend, you’ll develop new talents in no time.

7. The Culture Guru If you like the idea of going to see that new up-and-coming band perform, befriend someone who knows who’s playing and what exhibits are on display.

8. The Healthcare Professional Make friends with a doctor or nurse. Then, when you wake up with ginormous swollen glands, you won’t have to wait for an appointment to get medicine to cure what ails you.

9. The Legal Adviser We all make mistakes. A need for speed can lead to you getting pulled over, and a lively party might end with a noise violation. If you have a friend who’s a lawyer, at least you won’t be alone when you have to appear in front of a judge.

10. The Travel Buddy There are those who like to stay in the same place and find solace in their homes. And there are others who need to get out and explore the world. If you’ve caught the travel bug, find a friend who has it, too. It’s way more fun (and much safer) when you share adventures with someone else.

Are you still working on finding a few more fabulous friends? Or do you already have this list of friends to have before 30?